Washington - I never thought of Israel’s Ariel Sharon as a guy who could bring people together. (1) I was wrong! Probably, the most loathed Zionist on the planet, he brought out hundreds of demonstrators from the D.C. area, at the annual AIPAC conference, (2) held at the D.C. Convention Center, on Monday, May 23, 2005. They were all very vocal, too.

My first interview was with the highly-respected Rabbi, Yisroel Dovid Weiss. Standing in front of the Center, he said, “Ariel Sharon is not the representative of Judaism or the Jewish people...Judaism and Zionism are not one and the same. Sharon is the antithesis of what a good Jew should be," the Rabbi insisted. (3) Doug Eyde, an activist from D.C. told me, “I’m here to protest AIPAC, which directs our foreign policy and billions of our money to the Israeli war machine and to the occupation of Palestine.”

The reasons for the protest varied: Sharon’s past crimes; opposition to Israel’s Apartheid Wall and its brutal treatment of the Palestinian people; and, also its dubious disengagement plan were raised. Israel’s role, via the shifty Neocons, in instigating the Iraqi War and pushing, too, for a U.S.-led war with Iran and Syria were also on the agenda. (4) Of course, the Zionist schemers won’t see any need for Israeli troops to get their hands bloodied in any possible conflict with Iran or Syria. Why should they? The Americans and Brits will do it for them, just as they are now doing it in Iraq. A recently retired U.S. Senator, Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC), said, “The Iraq War was for Israel.” (5)

David Kirshbaum of the D.C. Anti-War Network, (DAWN) was one of the first demonstrators to show up at the Center. He said: “We are here tonight to protest against AIPAC and Ariel Sharon. Israel practices Apartheid. It has been oppressing the Palestinians, exploiting their economy and destroying their ability to communicate with each other, especially because of the Apartheid Wall it is building. It’s a form of ethnic cleansing.” A resident of Edgemere, MD, John Bailey, was another demonstrator. He said, “I don’t like AIPAC’s influence on the U.S. government. George Washington warned us about the evils of excessive foreign entanglements. I really think that sums it up. We’re letting the tail wag the dog. It’s obvious a lot of the congressmen are scared to death to oppose Israel’s Right Wing policies.”

Although, the rally didn’t begin until 6:00 PM, at Massachusetts at 7th St., NW, across the street from the Center, I arrived, via the MARC Line, from Baltimore, at about 4:00 PM. I knew this was going to be a really big deal. There were two (count them) two full page, very expensive ads, in the New York Times, on Sunday, May 22nd, welcoming Sharon to America. They were signed by the usual suspects. The ADL’s mega-windbag, Abraham Foxman, naturally, was one of the many endorsers. (I hope his Hell will include being forced to repeatedly watch Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” for all of eternity!) When I read the silly ad in a 36 point type, which stated: “WE STAND WITH ISRAEL, NOW AND FOREVER,” I had to shake my head and ask myself: “Whatever happened to loyalty to our Republic?”

The “official” endorsers of the Anti-AIPAC/Anti-Sharon protest action, also included one of my personal heroes, a very brave man, the whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu. (6) He dared to tell the truth about Israel’s stockpiling of nuclear weapons. As a result, he spent 18 years in prison in an Israeli hellhole, of which, 12 years were in solitary confinement. Another man of conscience was on that endorsement list for the demonstration - former Rep. Paul Findley (R-IL). His political career, like so many others, was short-circuited by the Zionist Cartel, of which AIPAC, is only a small smart of an alien-based, well-financed and feared juggernaut. Findley thought the U.S. attachment to Israel didn’t served our “national interest.” In fact, he saw it as a threat to the safety of our Republic. He was right on both counts. (7)

Nevertheless, Findley, like other truth-tellers before him, has been languishing in “Internal Exile” ever since. Meanwhile, Zionist lapdogs, such as the Speaker of the House, Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL); Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN); and the ultra-hawkish Secretary of State, Condi Rice, were all inside the Center for the gig. The politicos were given “speaking parts,” which in Hollywood jargon made them “Day Players,” for the tightly-stage-managed, “I love ‘Little Israel’ Festival.” Undoubtedly, if the past is prologue, they will be called on to praise Sharon/Israel shamelessly out of a hymn book that could easily be taken from the mad musings of that repulsive Zionist traitor - Jonathan Pollard! (8) Oh, it is all just so predictable - and, oh, so sad.

Malachy Kilbride is another activist associated with DAWN. He said, “I’m here to protest AIPAC. Congress really follows the desires of that organization. I’m also opposed to the policies of the Israeli government and how they are treating the Palestinian people.” The three listed speakers at the rally: Huwaida Arraf, Ross Pourzal and Dr. E. Faye Williams, all did commendable jobs. Williams was particularly brilliant as she demanded “justice for the Palestinians,” and invoked the memory of her spiritual mentor and one of America’s greatest sons - Martin Luther King! She is on the Board of Directors of the Council for the National Interest. Arraf is with the International Solidarity Movement and Pourzal is a representative of the Alliance of Progressive Iranians.

Ponder this: When a pushy Zionist lobbyist barks, “Jump!,” members of the U.S. Congress, or a bureaucrat, like Rice, with only a few exceptions, will respond, “How high?” (9) One day the American people will, finally, figure out that the horrific Enron scandal pales in comparison to how the Zionist intriguers have penetrated the inner sanctum of our governmental agencies and have used them for their own ends. (10) When that happens, watch out! If you love America and revere the patriots of old, (11) you have to be in despair over this phony “Made-in-Tel-Aviv Show.” It reveals just how far our Republic has fallen! No wonder the survivors of the “USS Liberty” haven’t been able to get a full public hearing about what really happened to the ill-fated vessel. (12) Ditto, the parents of peace activist, Rachel Corrie, who are still looking for justice for their martyred daughter. (13) Philosophically speaking, however, even personal, political and cultural despair, can be positive, if they point the way forward to the rebirth of our Republic.


Notes:

1. www.counterpunch.org/sharon.html.
2. www.whatreallyhappened.com/archives/cat_israeli_spying.html.
3. homepage.mac.com/bhughes2/iMovieTheater97.html
4. greenvilleonline.com/news/opinion/2004/05/09/2004050930901.htm.
5. www.rescuemideastpolicy.com/.
6. www.vanunu.freeserve.co.uk/.
7. wrmea.com/.
8. www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/pollard/11.html.
9. wrmea.com./
10. www.wrmea.com/archives/May_2004/0405020.html.
11. “Encyclopedia of the American Revolution,” by Mark M. Boatner III.
12. www.ussliberty.org/.
13. www.rachelcorrie.org/.

© William Hughes 2005.

William Hughes is the author of “Saying ‘No’ to the War Party” (Iuniverse, Inc.). He can be reached at: liamhughes-AT-comcast.net.